


wipe those tears and chase the gloom

by BrittaTheBest



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
Genre: Angst, Anne's House of Dreams, Canon Compliant, Child Death, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 14:52:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13079244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrittaTheBest/pseuds/BrittaTheBest
Summary: A very short missing scene from Anne's House of Dreams, just after Joy's birth.





	wipe those tears and chase the gloom

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading Anne's House of Dreams last night and idly thinking about how Gilbert would react if something terrible happened to Anne and then I got to That Part and cursed myself for ever thinking that.
> 
> Reminder of full context because it's about 2 pages in a very long book series: Anne and Gilbert's first child, Joyce, died very soon after being born, and Anne nearly died herself. She was also the last to learn anything was wrong with the baby.

The long night had left Anne in a mist of half-sleep, a clammy, fatigued haze of bliss through which she drifted without conscious thought or care.

  
She roused from dozing to see Gilbert, haggard and ashen, sitting in one of the chairs that had been pulled up to their bed, watching her with his chin resting on his hand.

  
He smiled softly into his palm when he saw her looking at him. “Hello, Anne-girl,” he said, sotto-voiced.

  
“And is this my husband or my handsome doctor by my bedside?” Anne’s voice was weak, but imbued with her usual warmth and good-humour.

  
“Husband, tonight.” He sat forward, taking her hand in both of his. He stroked the back of it tenderly with his thumbs, gazing at her.

  
Anne turned her head, looking across the bed and room as far as her strength would allow. “Where’s Joy?”

  
“With the nurse, my love,” said Gilbert, soothingly. There was a sadness in his voice which Anne’s own happiness did not equip her to hear.

  
“Mmm…” she murmured. Already her energy and lucidity were depleting, and she was beginning to sink back into her stupor once more. “Our baby…” she said, dreamily, closing her eyes. “Just think, Gilbert… All the love that shall be in this house now… all the things we will do…”

  
Gilbert didn’t answer. He only gave her another smile, a melancholic, pained smile, full of love and fear and heartache, that she could not see behind her closed lids. He lifted her hand to his mouth and held it there in a kiss, so that it was the last thing Anne was aware of before she was asleep. His own eyes were shut now, too, and he was trembling, pressing his wife’s fingers to his lips like a prayer. After a time, he bowed his head, resting his forehead on her hand instead.

  
He let out a shuddering breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

**Author's Note:**

> this was only very short and barely more than a drabble but feedback is always appreciated :) :'(


End file.
